Friday, February 20, 2009

Game Notes vs. Giants

Tonight’s Preview: The Rockets and Giants are meeting for the 7th time this season. The Rockets are 1-5-0-0 against the Giants this season, having been out-scored 26-14. Following tonight’s game these two teams conclude the seasonal series March 7th in Kelowna. The Giants have out-shot the Rockets in five of the six games. The exception was November 12th in a Giants 3-1 win. The Rockets out-shot the visitors 37-24. In the seasonal series the Giants have also scored two or more power play goals in four of the six games. The Rockets are 7 for 33=21.2% with the extra man while the Giants are 11 for 40=27.5% in the 6 games. Following tonight’s game the Rockets are in Everett tomorrow night before closing out the weekend with a game in Chilliwack Sunday afternoon (4PM). The Rockets then board the bus Monday for a trip to Medicine Hat where they play the Tigers on Wednesday. The Rockets enter a portion of their schedule playing six games nine nights. The Rockets have points in 12 of their last 13 games (9-1-1-2).

* Tyson Sexsmith has started in all six games against the Rockets this season. Adam Brown has played in three of the six games while Mark Guggenberger has played twice against the Giants this season.

Last Game: Alexander Wiklund scored the game winner leading the Chilliwack Bruins to a 4-3 shootout win over the Kelowna Rockets Wednesday night. The Bruins forced overtime after coming back from a 3-0 first period deficit. The Rockets scored those three goals in a 1:06 span, before the Bruins came back to earn the two points. Cody Almond, Colin Long and Stepan Novotny scored for the Rockets, who out-shot the Bruins 40-23. The Rockets were 0/4 on the power play while the Bruins were 1 for 2. The loss snapped the Rockets six game home ice winning streak.

Road Rash: Nineteen of Jamie Benn’s 39 goals (49%) have been scored on the road. Twenty-seven of Benn’s 67 points (40%) have been registered on opposition ice. Thirty-one (31) of Colin Long’s 74 points (42%) have been scored on the road. Twenty of Tyson Barrie’s 48 points (42%) have been on opposition ice. Twenty of Cody Almond’s 54 points this season (37%) have been registered on the road.

Sophomore Jinx – Not! Jamie Benn has been held off the score-sheet just 10 times this season. Two of those games have been against Vancouver with three coming against Prince George. Benn was held off the scoreboard 14 times in his rookie season.

Mr. Consistency: Colin Long has been held off the scoreboard 11 times this season. Three of those games have been against the Giants. Long has had one-nine game point streak and two-eight game point streaks this season. Last season Long failed to hit the score sheet 15 times.

Best of the West Poll Announced: The Tri City Herald’s Best of the West Poll was released last weekend and three Rockets were recognized. Jamie Benn was rated as having the best shot, and the most accurate. Riley Grantham was rated as the toughest player in the conference. Tyler Myers was rated as the best stay-at-home defenseman.

The Fastest to 40! Rockets forward Jamie Benn is one goal shy of 40 for the season. Benn has scored 39 times in just 44 games. Justin Keller was the last Rockets player to reach 40 goals, during the 2005-2006 season. Keller would score his 40th goal in his 58th game. Keller would go on to score 51 times that season. Chuck Kobasew scored his 40th goal for the Rockets in his 54th game during the 2001-2002 season. Jesse Schultz took 53 games to score his 40th in 2002-2003. Brett McLean scored his 40th goal of the season in his 51st game in 1997-98. Jason Deleurme took 53 games to score his 40th goal in 1997-98.

Very Interesting! Jamie Benn has three-three goal games this season. Benn also registered a hat trick against Kamloops and Lethbridge…Ian Duval leads all Rockets in games played. Duval is playing in career game #319 tonight…Mark Guggenberger has won four of his last six starts, and has earned points in 10 of his last 11 appearances… The Rockets are 20-2-0-1 when Colin Long scores…The Rockets 24 home ice wins this season is three better than the teams 21 home ice victories one season ago…Goaltender Mark Guggenberger has started 11 of the last 14 games.…Tyson Barrie has set a new career high in point with 48, bettering his 43 point effort in his rookie season…The Rockets won their 30th game of the season February 3rd in Kamloops. It marked the 14th time in franchise history that the Rockets have enjoyed a 30+ win season. The Rockets last failed to win 30 games during the 2006-2007 campaign, when the team won just 22 times…The Rockets have just 13 games left in the regular season. Nine of those 13 are on the road. The Rockets have out-shot the opposition in 14 of the 17 games since the trade deadline. Only Tri City and Vancouver (twice) have out-shot the Rockets since the trade deadline…The Rockets are 9-4-1-3 in seventeen games since the trade deadline…Mitchell Callahan has 12 fighting majors this season as a 17 year-old. Teammate Curt Gogol – also 17 – has 8…Cody Almond is two points shy of his point total from last season.

Good question about McColgan, boondocker. I recall that he can join the Rockets this year once his team's season is over. Regan how about that? The Rockets are going to be fun to watch the next couple years as they have 3 young middle-weight instigators in Callahan, Gogel, and McColgin.

Which Kelowna Rockets will make Team Canada?

Who will win the BC Division this season?

World Gym Kelowna/West Kelowna

Regan Bartel

Will Cal Foote and Kole Lind be taken in the first round of the NHL draft?

About Me

Bartel is a radio broadcaster for the Kelowna Rockets of the Western Hockey League. Bartel is enjoying his 26th year in the radio broadcast industry, spending 13 years at CKSW in Swift Current before moving to AM 1150 in Kelowna in the summer of 2000. Having called the play-by-play for the Swift Current Broncos and Kelowna Rockets, Bartel has called games at five Memorial Cups (2003,04,05,09, 2015), the CHL Top Prospects Game (2012) and the Canada-Russia Subway Super Series (2009). To listen to audio, just type audio in the window at the top left of the screen.